Summer is fast approaching Kelly Walsh High School students, and with only six weeks of school left for the underclassmen, they are ready to head off to summer. Although the school year is not quite over, the testing windows are, to the happiness of many.  

Juniors were up first to take the ACT, then freshman and sophomores took the  WY-Topp . WY-Topp or The Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress is a state standardized test that grades three through ten must take in the state of Wyoming. The goal of the test is to see where students are proficient in subjects, such as math, English, writing, and science. Based on the results of the test, the government can see how well the school’s administration is performing. It is extremely important for students to try their best on this test due to the fact that it reflects how teachers and administration are teaching students.

But for most students, WY-Topp is just another test they need to get past in order to finish out the school year, very few students realize how important Wy-Topp is.

“I think teaches have definitely expressed how important WY-Topp, but I think sometimes other students can get confused and not understand the importance of it,” Clara Fullerton, a sophomore, said.

Teachers and administrators alike have tried to stress the importance of WY-Topp this year, but not everyone sees it that way.

“I don’t’ really understand the importance the of WY-Topp, maybe because my teachers haven’t told me. It’s not that I’m blaming my teachers. I’m pretty sure they don’t even understand the importance of it,”  Laura Hoverland, a Sophomore, said.

Another reason administration pushes kids to try their hardest on the WY-Topp, is because the test might affect the classes students are put in. If students’ scores aren’t meeting state standards, administration might decide to put a students in a class that focuses more on the skills they are not proficient in.

“I give my best on the WY-Topp mostly because I don’t want a poor score on my record when colleges start to look and also because I don’t want to be put in study skills or my electives taken away,” Fullerton, said.

WY-Topp is very important for the teacher and students of Wyoming. Teachers can use this test to determine what they should be focussing on in the classroom and what students are struggling to understand. Students should be educated more on the purpose of WY-Topp and why it is vital they try their hardest on the test. Even though students don’t like testing in general, Wyoming and Kelly Walsh students should take WY-Topp testing seriously.